Recent events leave me wondering which is the real Jewish state-Israel or the USA? The Bush administration already took us to war to make the Mideast safer for Israel, and now it's gearing up for war with Iran-sending anti-missile missiles, an aircraft carrier, and cruise missile-firing ships to the Gulf-for the same reason.

If the midterm election was supposed to be a referendum against U.S. policy in the Mideast, it failed royally. In fact, the midterm election left things even rosier for Zionists and gloomier for those wanting an escape from the Jewish lobby's ruinous foreign policy.

Don't take my word for it; that's analysis from the JTA, Global News Service of the Jewish People ("Division of congressional posts seems to favor Jewish issues," Jan. 9, 2007). JTA's Ron Kampeas notes that in the new Congress there are "more Jews in powerful positions than the [Jewish] community has seen in more than a decade-it also features more friendly faces across the board, Jewish leaders say."

Although Jews comprise only 2 percent of the U.S. population, there are now 30 Jews in the House, an increase of 4 from the last Congress, and "a record 13 Jews in the Senate20 percent of the Democratic presence." (JTA) Significantly, JTA says, both House and Senate have Jews in the top political position of caucus chair. Rep. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) chairs the Senate and Rep. Rahm Emanual (D-Ill) chairs the House.

Who now controls the International Relations Committee with jurisdiction over US foreign relations, border disputes, foreign loans, diplomacy, measures related to international commerce and economic policy, and over the American Red Cross and UN organizations? That would be Rep. Tom Lantos (D-California) who is "the sole Holocaust survivor in Congress and one of Israel's staunchest defenders in the House of Representatives" (JTA).

Lantos' deputy at the committee is Rep. Howard Berman, also a Democrat from California and also Jewish. JTA's piece notes that "four of the committee's seven subcommittee chairmen are likely to be Jewish." These Jewish politicians are set up to chair the Mideast subcommittee, the International Terrorism and Nonproliferation subcommittee, the Western Hemisphere subcommittee, and the committee on Europe and Emerging Threats.

JTA lists several other Jews assuming prominent positions and notes that the biggest gain for Israel is Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) as majority leader. Hoyer "is on a first-name basis with much of the board of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and has been to Israel multiple times"

Jewish ADL lobbyist Stacy Burdett "noted the ascension of Sen. Ted Kennedy and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) to the chairmanships of their respective houses' immigration subcommittees." Burdett was pleased that their increased power would help defeat pressure from conservatives to tighten US immigration policy.

Some people say there's no Jewish elite with a powerful political agenda and that to say so is anti-Semitic. But the power of American Zionists is confirmed by Jewish sources themselves, like JTA. It is these Jewish organizations themselves which insist that there are unified Jewish interests (the foremost being unconditional support of Israel) and that all Jews should rejoice if more of their Zionist brethren are in government. Jewish Americans like Norman Finkelstein who think independently and resist the herding of organized Jewry are a minority.

All of this is pretty bad news for Americans-Jewish and gentile-who are concerned about the geopolitical consequences of our reckless, dangerous and imbalanced support of Israel. If Americans are fed up with the Bush administration's military actions in Iraq, they're going to have to wise up to the hands that are really pulling the strings.

Our foreign policy in the Mideast will grow only more destructive unless the Zionist lobby and Zionist politicians are recognized as primarily loyal to a foreign power, Israel * not to American interests and our troops, dying for Israel in Iraq.

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I hate it when they say, "He gave his life for his country." Nobody gives their life for anything. We steal the lives of these kids. We take it away from them. They don't die for the honor and glory of their country. We kill them."-- Admiral Gene LaRocque